What's up, sunshine? Welcome to the show.
I'm Coy Wire with a special edition of CNN 10.
Today, one royally intriguing topic all 10 minutes, including a first-ever CNN 10 report from one of you, our viewers.
Rise up. Today we are diving into the difference between the British government and the British crown, the way our friends across the pond run their country, quite different from the way we do things here in the U.S.
Also, what roles do the king, the queen, and the prince even play?
Since it can get confusing, we're going to break it all down.
In the US, the president is both the head of state, the country's symbolic leader, and the head of government, the person who actually runs the executive branch.
The president is elected every four years by the people.
That means the citizens vote for who they want to be in charge.
In the UK, That's not quite the case. Under a constitutional monarchy, power is divided between the elected government and the ceremonial role of the royal family.
The prime minister, currently Keir Starmer, is the head of government and runs the country day to day.
But here's the twist. Voters don't pick the prime minister directly.
Instead, they vote for a political party, and the party with the most seats in parliament chooses the prime minister.
So it's more like voting for the whole team instead of just the captain.
My government will serve you. Politics can be a force for good We will show that.
Britain also has a monarch, currently King Charles III, who is the head of state.
While it is largely an apolitical role, they perform important duties such as officially appointing the prime minister, opening parliament, and providing royal assent to bills signifying that they have become law.
Now that King Charles has taken the throne, his eldest son, William, is the first in line for the crown, and his responsibilities have gotten more and more important for many reasons.
Our Max Foster is here to explain. It used to be all high jinx and banter between William and Harry.
It's pretty rich coming from a ginger, so I'm quite happy to do that.
Even after William married, there was plenty of fun to be had in front of the cameras.
Over the years, William gradually rebranded from a tireless young royal mixing with celebrities at trendy parties to a more formal, suited and booted figure, more fit for the throne.
According to sources, it was a deliberate transformation, as he moved steadily towards the top job as it's known.
Once dubbed the work-shy prince, sources say William wasn't in a rush to take on full-time public duties whilst he was settling down.
But from the moment his grandmother died, he became first in line to the throne, and with that came a more weighty title.
I am proud to create him Prince of Wales, Tawusog Cymru, the country... whose title I've been so greatly privileged to bear during so much of my life and duty.
With that, the new Prince and Princess of Wales have been elevated in position and will now be expected to step up and support the King more.
William's father reinvented the role of Prince of Wales by professionalising it.
It's no longer a ticket to a playboy lifestyle.
William and Kate will have plans for making it their own.
But family will remain the major priority for both of them.
Both will be aware that the burden of royal duties are greater than they ever were.
Not just because the Queen has passed, but because these duties were always meant to be shared with Harry, who's now given up his royal role.
It leaves the monarchy, whether by design or by default, more streamlined than ever.
The spotlight now firmly on the new Prince and Princess of Wales. the most high profile in history.
While William and his father may attend and officiate many government events, the actual power still lies with the British people.
In America, our politics are mostly divided into a two-party game, Democrats and Republicans.
In the United Kingdom, politics plays out a little differently and with more parties.
The two biggest are the Conservatives and the Labour, but there are also several others too, like the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party, and the Scottish National Party.
And as Big Ben strikes 10, the exit poll is predicting a Labour landslide.
In the United Kingdom, elections for Parliament usually happen every five years.
Emphasis on usually. Sometimes, if Parliament can't agree or the government loses a key vote, an early election is called.
It's what they call a snap election. Once a majority government has been chosen, Parliament is in charge of making the laws.
The British Parliament is bicameral, meaning it has two chambers.
Much like the US has the House of Representatives and the Senate, Britain has the House of Commons and the House of Lords.
The Commons members are elected by voters, while the Lords are mostly appointed or have inherited their spots.
The Lords act like experienced advisors.
They don't make laws by themselves, but they do review and suggest changes.
This system mixes tradition with elected decision-making.
Unlike the US, the UK doesn't have one single written constitution.
Instead, Its rules come from a mix of important documents, court decisions, and traditions that have developed over centuries, kind of like a recipe passed down through generations.
Because it's more flexible, the UK system can adapt over time.
And, much like the US, the UK also has a Supreme Court that settles big legal questions and assesses whether new or existing laws follow the country's best interests.
Time for a Did You Know? The London Bridge is not falling down because it's not even called the London Bridge.
And one of you took a vacation to the UK over the summer and filed this special student report.
Hi Koi, I'm in front of Tower Bridge in London and let me tell you some fun facts about this iconic landmark.
Did you know Britain's most famous bridge is actually not called the London Bridge?
It's called the Tower Bridge. The original London Bridge isn't even in London.
It was moved brick by brick to Arizona in the 1960s.
Two local architects began construction on the bridge April 22nd, 1886 and it opened in 1894. used to construct the bridge, which ended up costing 1 million pounds.
That would be about 166 million pounds today.
Jeez. The power bridge is a bascule bridge from the French word for seesaw or balance.
Instead of using ropes or chains like a typical drawbridge, the bascules that made up sections of the road moved like two giant seesaws.
The sections pivot the bridge open and closed, allowing boats to pass through.
Until 1976, the bascules were operated by hydraulics, using steam to power the enormous pumping engines.
Today, the bascules are operated by oil and electricity driven by hydraulic power instead of steam.
It takes 206 steps to reach the top of the bridge.
Once there, you could walk between two towers on a glass floor.
This addition came in 2014 so that visitors can test their courage and snap some pictures of the Reverend Bullock.
Back to you, Coy. June, that was incredible.
Thank you so much for sharing such fascinating facts from your summer vacation.
Now, are you traveling somewhere soon or just want to show us around a cool part of your hometown?
Send us your own CNN 10 field trip video with your parents' permission, of course.
Include your name, age, school, mascot, teacher if you'd like.
Send it all to CNN10 at CNN.com. Can't wait to check them out.
Pop quiz, hot shot. The King of England is not required to have what type of documentation?
Birth certificate, driver's license, checkbook or passport.
This is actually a twofer. Passports and driving licenses are issued in the name of the monarch, so they don't need to issue one to themselves.
Despite His Royal Highness's lack of license, the King is said to have a fleet of luxury vehicles, including vintage Rolls Royces and Jaguars.
King Charles III took the throne in 2022 after the passing of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who ruled for more than 70 years.
And while none of you are probably old enough to remember her coronation day, you will likely witness another in your lifetime.
Our Randy Kay explains the significance of the line of succession.
Get in line if you want to be head of the British monarchy.
The list of future heirs to the throne includes nearly two dozen members of the royal family.
William, the Prince of Wales, is the new heir apparent.
He's the eldest son of King Charles and the late Princess Diana.
In 2011, William married Kate Middleton, now the Princess of Wales.
They live in a cottage on the grounds of Windsor Castle with their three children, who are next in line behind William.
Their eldest, Prince George of Wales, is second in line to the throne.
Princess Charlotte, William and Kate's only daughter, would come after her big brother.
Then Prince Louis of Wales, their youngest.
Fifth in line to the throne, Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex.
He's the younger son of King Charles and Diana and William's only sibling.
Harry married Meghan Markle in 2018 after they met on a blind date.
They have two children and live in California.
Their son, Prince Archie, is in line after his father.
His sister, Princess Lilibet, would be next.
Lilibet is seventh in line to the throne.
As the queen's 11th great grandchild, she is the most senior royal in the line of succession to have been born overseas in California.
King Charles' brother, Prince Andrew, is eighth in line, despite being stripped of his royal title.
Andrew stepped away from royal duties in 2019, Prince Andrew had married Sarah Ferguson in 1986 and had two daughters before divorcing a decade later.
Princess Beatrice, now 34 and ninth in line after her father, gave birth to daughter Sienna Elizabeth Mapelli Mosey in 2021, who is now 10th in line to the throne.
That makes Princess Eugenie, Beatrice's sister, 11th.
Her son, August Philip Hawke, is 12th. Prince Edward, the youngest child of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, is 13th in the line of succession.
Edward's official title is the Earl of Wessex.
His two children, James Viscount Severn and his older sister, Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor, are in line behind their father.
Princess Anne, who was actually the second child born to the Queen and Prince Philip, falls last behind her three brothers and their children.
That's because the 1701 Act of Settlement, which lays down the rules of succession, allowed for younger sons to move ahead of older daughters in line.
The 2013 Succession to the Crown Act changed that, but only applies to those born after October 28th, 2011.
That leaves Princess Anne 16th in line to the throne.
All right, superstars, that's all for today's special edition.
Wherever you are in this world, just know that you are royally awesome, and we are so thankful for you spending part of your day with us.
You're our cup of tea. See you next time.
I'm Coy Wire, and we are CNN 10.
